Blossoming
by Verboten Byacolate
Summary: After a brief observation, she concludes that she's a sucker for guys with lonely eyes. [ZetsuSaku challenge][for IrisEclipsed]


A/N; I never thought it would come to this XD. But I was challenged to write a ZetsuSaku, and here I am.

Dedication; This is for _**IrisEclipsed**_, whom I owe the honor of the challenge. We were just PMing back and forth, and I was convincing her to read some of _**MitsukiShiroi**_'s work (ItaSakuDei), and we got to the topic of Sakura/Akatsuki, and eventually, ZetsuSaku. She challenged me and… well… who am I to back down from a challenge?

Disclaimer; I do not own Naruto, but the couple and theme "flowers" were given to me by the talented _**IrisEclipsed**_.

**Blossoming**

"Here," she said softly, placing her armful of herbs in the basket in his hands. Glancing briefly at them, she mused silently on how _normal_ they looked… The hands any man would have. '_But_,' she reminded herself firmly, '_he is not a normal man. So drop it, Sakura._' She sighed, knowing her Inner was right.

"Something wrong?" came a smooth, masculine voice. She looked up instantly, a jerky motion that made his suddenly-raspy voice chuckle. "Of course there is," the second voice muttered. He was looking down at her with great intensity, such intensity that she had to look away.

She admitted it; he looked frightening.

There was a bulbous green… thing surrounding his head, which seemed to be a mask of half black, half white. Since she'd met him, three hours ago, she'd deducted that he had multiple personality disorder. She could see that, on one hand, he was a soft-spoken young man. On the other hand, he was scratchy and brusque.

His yellow, hungry eyes didn't help, either. She supposed the only reason she had not run from him was the loneliness embedded in them as well. She couldn't help it- she was just a sucker for lonely people.

"Zetsu-san," she said quietly, standing, "I'm finished collecting herbs." She took the basket from his hands, and felt them twitch slightly when hers brushed his. "I… thank you for helping me." She bowed slightly. "It would have taken me much longer if not for your help."

Finally, she gathered her courage and looked him in the eye for a smile. _Lonely…_

"You're welcome," he said softly. She fidgeted slightly, glancing around._ There must be something more I can do…_

"Ah!" she said suddenly, and snapped her head back around to grin. "Would you happen to know if there are any cosmos around here?"

Zetsu observed her momentarily before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, there are not."

"Oh…" Sakura faltered, and shifted the basket from her right hand to her left. "Well…" She turned and squatted, setting the basket down and pointing at a small group of bright orange, cup-like flowers that seemed to almost jut from the ground itself. "What are these?"

"Crocus," he rasped. She smiled.

"They look like an upside-down layered skirt," she mused quietly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him nod in agreement. "And… these?" She knew what she was pointing at—the blue grape hyacinths, tiny blue-lavender bulbs packed onto the top of a thick stem.

"Muscari," he said shortly, brusquely.

"So you know about flowers as well as herbs?"

"Yes."

"Ah." A thick silence ensued and Sakura fiddled with a stem of multicolored fairy primroses. She could feel his yellow gaze on her, and it was, because there was no other word for it, odd. All she would do now was wait for him to speak.

It was his turn, after all.

"You don't need to stay on my behalf," came his softer, smoother voice. She paused and glanced up at him.

"I know. I really am interested, though!" she smiled. "My friend, Yamanaka Ino, runs a flower shop with her parents. When we were children, she taught me everything I know. And also, because of my namesake, I've always had an affinity for flowers." She shrugged. "Plus, shishou doesn't expect me back with her herbs for another day. Might as well spend it how I like, yeah?"

"Yeah…"

Damn, it was her turn. Quickly snatching whatever bud her fingers touched, she stood and held it out to him. "For you."

He seemed to calculate it with his glazed eyes, and hesitantly reached out and took it from her. "Cape daisy," he said. She smiled sheepishly.

"It's fitting…?" The white petals surrounded a black center, and sandwiched in between were brief flashes of orange and brown.

After a light observation of her reaction, the edges of his lips quirked ever-so-slightly upward.

"It is."

_- Fin -_

**Umm… Yay for crack, haha? –is shot-**

**Nah, seriously though, the challenge exchange was fun. **_**IrisEclipsed**_**'s challenge from me was a DeiSaku twoshot with the theme "hairbrush". Check it out; it's bound to be fantastic! Also, please look for **_**Ariel32**_**'s KisaSaku (something Iris and I challenged her with) with the theme "sushi". She's such a great author. They both are! (But if you ask me, Iris-chan got off **_**so**_** easy…) **

**You cannot IMAGINE the research I went through to write this…**

**-Bya-chan**

**P.S.- Yes, I know he's a cannibal, but what fun would it be for him to eat Sakura?? Don't answer that.**


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